Like all fighting games, MultiVersus places a huge emphasis on multiplayer competition. While it’s great that you can compete against people across the world at the drop of a hat, sometimes it’s best to keep things local.
Today, more and more games are doing away with local multiplayer entirely, so I’m very happy to say that MultiVersus is not following that trend. There are some quirks and caveats that you need to operate around, but you can ultimately satisfy that nostalgic itch. Here is how to play local multiplayer in MultiVersus and an explanation of the limitations surrounding it.
How to play local multiplayer in MultiVersus
Just like in the beta, you’re able to play MultiVersus locally with friends. However, the process for doing so is a little bit different. From the home screen, select Game Mode, and then select Local. From here, your friends will be able to locally join your match by pressing any button—provided you have another controller for them to use (keyboards only count as one).
You can play with two to four players in any combination of teams, and you can also bring in bots to make up the difference. If you want to adjust the rules for your local match, select Custom Game instead of Local. This allows you to modify the number of lives, time limit, and map.
Does MultiVersus have couch co-op?
While the new PvE game mode that came with the official release of MultiVersus supports co-op, that co-op has to be online. Unfortunately, local multiplayer is limited to custom offline matches, even when other online players aren’t involved. This means that you and a buddy can’t play against two strangers online, and it also means that you can’t play locally with a friend in Rifts.
Because Rifts give account rewards and mission progression, they technically classify as online matches, and that means that multiplayer for Rifts is online only. If you’re playing local multiplayer, you have to do so in a game mode that doesn’t progress your account in any way (Custom Game or Local).
